


loving me is rotten work (not to us, not if it’s you)

by lizalilac



Series: Soft Goro Week 2020 [5]
Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Birthday Fluff, Character Development, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Persona 5: The Royal Spoilers, Post-Canon, Post-Canon Fix-It, Post-Persona 5: The Royal, Soft Goro Week 2020, Team Bonding, Team as Family, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-16
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:22:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25310803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lizalilac/pseuds/lizalilac
Summary: Soft Goro Week Day 5: Love and BondsAfter everything that did and didn’t happen, everybody tries to help Goro realize that he’s a part of their little family now. Of course, the first thing they come up with is one-on-one interaction. Plus a birthday celebration with everybody!(Or, Goro overcomes things and has realizations about himself across nine interactions, with a nice little surprise at the end.)
Relationships: Akechi Goro & Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro & Kitagawa Yusuke, Akechi Goro & Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro & Morgana, Akechi Goro & Niijima Makoto, Akechi Goro & Okumura Haru, Akechi Goro & Persona 5 Protagonist, Akechi Goro & Phantom Thieves of Hearts, Akechi Goro & Sakamoto Ryuji, Akechi Goro & Sakura Futaba, Akechi Goro & Takamaki Ann, Akechi Goro & Yoshizawa Kasumi
Series: Soft Goro Week 2020 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1827298
Comments: 10
Kudos: 86
Collections: Day 5 - Love and Bonds, Marigolds Discord Recs





	loving me is rotten work (not to us, not if it’s you)

**Author's Note:**

> here's my favourite fic of mine this week by far !! can you believe i pumped this thing out in just 5 days?? i can hardly believe it either, it's incredibly wild. beware severe spoilers because this is taking place right after the events of persona 5 royal !! this is taking place in the months after [redacted]'s palace, before and after our protag goes back home. also, disclaimer that i know absolutely nothing about coffee-making, gardening, gymnastics, nor have i visited japan or tried japanese sweets. this is all based on a crapload of online research !! grab yourself a snack or drink and enjoy reading how much our lovely goro can change within a few months, with the help of a large friend group :>>
> 
> (flower meanings for yusuke's part: lilies (virginity/purity/modesty), baby’s breath (purity/innocence/love), weigela (faithfulness/grace))

_REN AMAMIYA_

Goro wished he knew how he got roped into being taught how to make coffee. He hasn’t really been spending much time at his apartment after revealing himself to the Thieves, alive and well, after they were all convinced that he wouldn’t make it out of Maruki’s world. Instead, he usually found himself nursing a cup of coffee at Leblanc, getting lost in his thoughts about… everything, he supposed.

The time spent here was always relatively peaceful, though Ren never really seemed to leave him alone for some reason. He was always either forcing him into a conversation about some deep thing or another, or he gave him a plate of curry to test out for the sake of criticism and advice. But if Goro was honest, he was sure that Ren was actually trying to make sure he eats enough, which he couldn’t complain about. He really was terrible at taking care of himself and he knew it.

This had to be the first time he was actually behind the counter, though. Ren was currently teaching him about the differences between certain coffee beans and how different the flavour profiles are from each other. Goro was never particularly interested in learning about coffee – the caffeine was all he ever cared about and he never allowed himself to be picky about the flavour. For some reason though, seeing Ren rant on and on about nuances so _passionately_ made him want to memorize every last detail.

“You two are really at it, huh?” Sojiro spoke, coming back into the café after buying cigarettes. Ren stopped himself mid-sentence, rubbing his neck sheepishly as he turned to look at the man.

“Hard at work, boss! I wanted to pass on some of what I knew to Goro, I hope you don’t mind?” He asked, having just realized that he never asked if he could do this.

Sojiro simply smirked, waving a hand. “Do what you want, this is your shop now as much as it is mine. I’m just impressed you went from being taught to teaching so fast.”

“He’s been surprisingly good at explaining. I’m already catching on,” Goro said, causing Sojiro’s eyebrows to raise in response.

“You are?” Sojiro chuckled, leaning against one of the booth couches. “Good work, Ren.”

Ren’s face brightened up at the praise, nodding. “Thank you! Let’s teach you how to grind the beans, okay?”

“I heard you say medium-fine grind earlier, is that correct?”

“Exactly, good job! I actually think you got the hang of that faster than I did,” Ren noted.

Goro blinked slowly, then shook his head. “You exaggerate too much, Ren.”

“Nah, can confirm.” Wow, Sojiro’s calling Ren out? Amazing. “Kid got it within a few minutes, but then promptly forgot and had to be reminded the next day.”

“Hey, I have a bad memory! There’s no guarantee he won’t forget it by tomorrow either!” Ren tried to make it better for himself, but Goro was already snickering into his hand. He received a pout from Ren, which was an oddly satisfying sight.

“Just admit I’m a better barista than you and go,” Goro managed between his laughter.

Ren grumbled, punching Goro’s arm gently before dragging him over to the siphons. He helped Goro grind up the coffee beans to the necessary size, then demonstrated how to use the siphon. Goro watched every tiny movement so that he knew what to do when it was inevitably his turn. Ren poured the finished coffee into a cup, emptying the siphon’s bulb completely.

“Wanna have a taste before you make yours?” Ren asked, gesturing to the cup.

“Alright.” Goro gently picked up the cup and blew on it briefly to cool it down, taking a sip. He nodded appreciatively at the flavor, setting it back onto the counter.

Ren smiled at Goro’s reaction. “Good, isn’t it?”

“You’ve certainly gotten better over the months. I remember how dull the flavor was when you first served me a cup,” Goro commented with a shit-eating grin. Like hell he’s gonna pass up an opportunity to poke fun at Ren.

“Well… I tried?” Ren said hesitantly, twisting a strand of his bangs. “I’ve made progress since then though, and that’s what’s important!”

Goro snorted, walking over to the siphon and repeating the process that Ren showed him, grinding up the Blue Mountain beans to a medium-fine grind, then poured twenty or so ounces of it into the top of the siphon. He watched the ground coffee blend with the hot water, then drip out into the bulb.

He always loved the aroma of a good cup of coffee, it was one of the things he could go out of his way to appreciate, to let himself indulge in. He subtly inhaled the rising scent of fresh coffee as he poured it into another cup, setting it down in front of Ren.

“Taste test?” Goro prompted, looking at Ren expectantly. He didn’t really want to do this in the first place, but for some reason, learning hands-on like this is making him hope he did well enough to warrant praise. He always loved being praised for his hard work, but having it evaluated by somebody with much more experience than him made him feel oddly... nervous.

“Honestly, I think this one will be good. You did everything exactly how I taught you,” Ren told him as he took the cup into his hands. He raised it to his lips and took a slow sip, taking care not to burn himself on the hot coffee. He took another sip, humming approvingly and looking up at Goro with something akin to _pride_. “It’s still lacking in the flavour profile, but that’s to be expected with inexperience. You did amazing, for your first try!”

Goro inhaled sharply, feeling himself smile involuntarily. It’s been a while since he felt himself smile genuinely like this, with his chest all warm and heart screaming in his chest. Sojiro walked over to the counter and took the cup from Ren, taking a sip of it as well. He nodded to himself, looking up at Goro with such gentle eyes and a kind smile. He… He reminded him of a father looking at his child proudly.

“He’s right. You’ve got a ways to go, but you benefit from a strong start. I’m sure that within a few months, you’ll be able to make a damn good cup, kid.”

“Thank… Thank you!”

_RYUJI SAKAMOTO_

It’s not like he hasn’t been long-distance running before, he actually really enjoys taking time to run around large parks or in towns with less people. Places where he didn’t have to deal with people recognizing him when he’s trying to de-stress.

Though… Pray tell, how did he end up going running with Ryuji?

He was actually very much alone at the start of his run around Inokashira Park, but had the misfortune of finding the other boy out on his own run. Ryuji recognized him and called him out, somehow convincing him to run together to hold each other accountable. He was doing that perfectly fine on his own, though he supposed he’d keep that to himself.

“Come on, catch up!”

Goro glared at Ryuji’s back, a few paces ahead of him. “Maybe I would’ve been ahead of you if you didn’t take a head-start for yourself, you ass!”

Ryuji laughed loudly, continuing to take the lead for himself. Wait, when did this turn into a race? What the actual hell? Whatever, he’s gonna take that first place for himself if it’s the last thing he does.

He changed his running form a tiny bit, doing more of a sprint than a long-distance run at this point. As long as it gets him ahead, it doesn’t matter. And it did, miraculously enough! He caught up to Ryuji fairly quickly, sticking out his tongue at him as he passed by and took his victory from him.

“What the- Hey, not cool!” Ryuji protested. Goro was the one to burst out laughing this time, feeling the sweet, sweet victory in his soul. How good it made him feel, one-upping a track star.

“Come on, catch up!” Goro parroted. He felt Ryuji’s glare on _his_ back this time, causing him to grin even harder. Ah, how the turn tables.

Unfortunately, his crown was taken away from him as soon as he got it. Ryuji sped up too, making it a few steps ahead of Goro. He cursed under his breath as he fought valiantly to keep his winning position, both of them switching between first and second place every few seconds. At this point, they were practically tied, considering how they seemed to be matching each other’s maximum pace.

When they finally made it back to their starting position, both of them collapsed onto the ground gracelessly while trying to catch their breath. Ryuji reached for the two unopened water bottles they bought earlier, tossing Goro one of them. Goro caught it in one hand, nodding gratefully as he uncapped it and downed more than half in one go.

“How the fuck did this turn into a race?” Goro asked breathlessly, collapsing onto his back and looking up at the sky from his sprawled-out position on the grass. He stared at the clouds passing by above him, taking on abstract shapes

Ryuji snorted, lying down next to him. “I have no idea, but that was incredibly fun. Let’s do that again sometime, I’m surprised you can keep up with me!”

He turned to look at Ryuji, staring at the side of his face with raised eyebrows. Fun, huh... He actually wanted to do this again. With Goro. He’s treating him like a friend, which was honestly baffling. Did he forget everything that happened? Or… Is this his way of giving Goro a second chance?

“Yeah… Let’s do this again.”

“This time might’ve been a tie, but I’ll win next time!” Ryuji promised, looking back at Goro with a wide grin.

Goro’s laugh almost sounded fond, he realized a bit too late. “You’re on. Let’s actually try starting at the same time, yeah?”

“Aw, you’re not gonna let me live that down, are you?”

“Nope. Cheater.”

Ryuji pouted, smacking his arm playfully. “Not a cheater!”

“Cheater,” Goro sang with a teasing grin. “You’re a cheater and I’ll let the entirety of Tokyo know.”

“Come onnn, have some mercyyyyy,” he whined. Goro started cackling loudly, eyes squeezing shut as he did. It almost felt like he was a kid again, relentlessly teasing a friend over something dumb he did. The thought made his heart feel light.

“I’ll show mercy when you start playing fair, Ryuji.”

Ryuji jumped back up to his feet, moving into his starting position. “Fine, let’s do one more lap, fair and square! Loser buys the winner ramen.”

“Oh, you’re on!” Goro scrambled to get onto his feet and into his starting position, staring straight ahead. He could already smell the free ramen from here.

“Ready, set… go!”

_ANN TAKAMAKI_

At least this time he was expecting to be dragged along to who-knows-where. Ann texted him the night before, asking if he wanted to join her on a trip to Nakamise Street in Asakusa. She said she wanted to go there for the street food, but didn’t feel like going alone, so she decided to invite him along. Goro wasn’t really too big on sweets – he didn’t care about the flavour of the food as long as it was filling. Though he accepted the invitation anyways, admittedly finding himself a bit curious.

So that’s why he was waiting for her in front of a souvenir shop at the beginning of the street, texting her his location so she can find him. He took a peek into the souvenir shop out of pure curiosity, finding nothing of interest except for a _lot_ of intricate masks on the wall. A lot of stuff in this street was catered to tourists, so he wasn’t too surprised.

“Goro-kun!”

Ah, there she is. He waved to her as she approached, breathing a bit heavily. “Sorry I’m late, I hope you didn’t wait too long?”

“Nah, I got here five minutes ago. You’re fine,” he responded. Ann let out a relieved sigh, patting his shoulder.

“Alright, you ready to try a ton of sweets?” She asked, beaming excitedly. “I’ve been craving the stuff from here for a while but I never really got around to coming here again.”

Goro hummed distractedly, staring off at a shop called ‘Azuma’. He spotted the millet dumplings when he got here, but he’s been practically dying to try them. It brought back memories of eating those as a child, with his mom. “Can… Can we go there first?”

Ann grinned, pulling him through the crowd by the arm and standing in line. “Great choice, they’ve got really good stuff here! They also have cold matcha during the summer, but I’ll have to ask if they’ve started selling it yet.”

He took a look at his surroundings while they waited. It was relatively busy here, with people walking up and down the street, in and out of stores. The sound of people talking to each other was so normal here that it became white noise. The line moved ahead a bit, but he didn’t really register it, too busy looking at all the stores lining the other side of the street. Souvenir stores, some sweets, souvenir stores, more souvenirs…

Goro was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of Ann speaking. They already reached the front of the line? “Five pieces of millet dumplings and two cold matchas, please!”

He watched as the woman began coating the hot dumplings in soy bean powder, sticking all of them into a tiny paper bag. She also poured out some of the cold matcha into two plastic cups, Goro taking the matcha while Ann took the dumplings. Goro took out his wallet to pay but Ann beat him to it, handing 550 yen over to the woman.

“You didn’t have to pay for everything, I could’ve paid half…”

“Nope, no need!” Ann insisted, moving away from the line and standing to the side of the street. She took her cup from him and offered him one of the dumplings. Goro took one of the skewers, biting the dumplings off and chewing slowly. Damn, he forgot how chewy these things could be. They weren’t overbearingly sweet, but they had a distinct taste that was so nostalgic. He hadn’t realized he made a tiny noise of delight until he looked at Ann and saw her smiling wide. Uh, oops.

“You like them, don’t you?” She asked, taking one out of the bag for herself. She hummed happily as she chewed and chewed, involuntarily closing her eyes while savouring the flavour. “They never get old, I could eat these for every meal of my life if I had to!”

Goro chuckled, grabbing one more. “Can’t help it. I had these as a kid once but I forgot about them ‘till now,” he explained.

“Really? I haven’t tried them myself until like… a year ago? The last time I came to Asakusa, it was actually because I was craving these really badly,” Ann recounted. She took a sip of the matcha, eyes widening. “Wait, this is really good! You gotta try the matcha.”

“You say that like this is the first time you had it,” Goro observed, but still had a sip of his own. Ohh? She’s right, it’s actually quite refreshing. He nodded in approval, taking another sip. “Mm, I can see myself having this again.”

Ann took another skewer from the bag and shoving it into her mouth, speaking around it. “I haven’ had the obbortunity to come here durin’ the shummer.”

He stared at her exasperatedly for speaking with her mouth full. “Well, I guess that explains it. Also, you can have the last one if you want, I don’t mind.”

“Uh uh.” She finished chewing, finally being able to speak clearly. “You wanted to eat these for nostalgia’s sake, right? So the last one’s yours!”

“But…”

“No buts,” she insisted, shoving the paper bag into his hand and finishing up her matcha. Goro blinked slowly at the last dumpling that’s apparently now his. He turned his face away to hide the tiny smile that he was unable to resist, raising the skewer up to his mouth and biting all of them off at once. Somehow, he was reminded of his mother at that moment, insisting that he have the last dumpling piece because he deserved it for his good behaviour at school.

He pulled himself out of his thoughts by downing the last of his matcha, throwing the trash away in a nearby trash bin. He turned to Ann, gesturing to the rest of the street. “Where to next?”

_MORGANA_

Thankfully, the next time Goro found himself at Leblanc, he wasn’t forced behind the counter straight away. He ordered the house blend like he usually did and sat at his usual seat near the door, allowing himself to get lost in his own thoughts. The biggest thing that changed from his visits last year was the steady loss of tension in his shoulders. In his entire body, for that matter. He never allowed himself to relax here for too long, staying for a single cup of coffee and then leaving when he dug some information or response out of Ren.

Now, though… He finally deemed it safe enough to let his guard down around Ren and Sojiro, being able to let his shoulders relax and his attention focus on one thing at a time. It was a greatly welcome change, one he’s been wanting for a while.

When the shop is lacking in customers, Sojiro even lets Morgana hang around to talk to him and Ren. Poor thing gets bored easily when he’s all alone upstairs, so Sojiro took mercy on him and let him come downstairs on slower days.

At the moment, Morgana found a satisfactory spot on the chair beside Goro’s. They were all alone in the café, Sojiro having stepped out for a smoke and Ren busying himself with preparing a fresh batch of curry in the back. He had no clue how to strike up a conversation though, considering he still can’t really get used to talking to a _cat_. Goro’s had weirder things happen to him, but still.

Surprisingly enough, Morgana was the one to start speaking. “Hey, Goro?”

“Mm?” He hummed noncommittally, turning his head to look at him.

“I was thinking…” He trailed off, curling up in his chair and gazing up at Goro. “When you were in the foster system, did you have any particularly memorable or happy experiences?”

Oh? Goro raised his eyebrows, thinking to himself. He wasn’t expecting to be asked that, but…

“Well, I had both good and bad experiences, but I do recall there being some families that I actually wanted to stay with,” he started. He took a sip of his coffee before continuing, feeling his eyes flutter closed.

“One of the people who I lived with was a young woman somewhere in her mid-twenties. She had just finished medical school, I think, and lived on her own. She was my foster mother for about a year or so, but she had to leave the country for good and couldn’t take me along. She treated me incredibly well though, bought me anything I asked for if she could afford it and comforted me when I was feeling sick or upset,” Goro recounted, feeling his lips twitch up gently.

“I was so sad when she had to leave, but I was a relatively understanding child. I couldn’t complain much, especially not when she was really upset she had to leave me too. That was… one of the best experiences of my childhood.”

When he looked back at Morgana, he found him watching Goro intently as he spoke. Almost as if he didn’t want to miss a word of what was being said. If Goro looked close enough, he could kind of see a smile on Morgana’s face. Could cats smile?

“She sounds like a really lovely woman,” Morgana told him. He stood on all four of his feet and leapt up onto the counter, positioning himself to be able to look at Goro better and curling up again.

“She was.” Goro smiled fondly, trying to remember another of his experiences. “Ah, one more. About one or two families after, I lived with a man and woman that were somewhere in their thirties and childless. They seemed to have focused more on their careers, being extremely successful and making a lot of money together, enough to get a large house to themselves. They were really kind to me and gave me the chance to try a lot of foods that I haven’t had before, as both of them were extraordinarily good cooks.

“Best part is? They had this really fluffy white cat named Cloud, and he absolutely _loved_ me. He kept trying to cuddle up to me and have me pet him, it was adorable.” Goro was smiling really wide at this point, feeling his cheeks ache. God, he loved that cat. “I wasn’t able to stay in that family for too long, but I often find myself missing Cloud. I kind of wish I could adopt a cat now, but I’m not sure if I’d be a good caretaker.”

Morgana didn’t say anything in response, just observed him silently with an odd look in his eyes. He was about to ask him if anything’s wrong, when Morgana moved to sit in his lap and head-butted his hand. Goro’s breath hitched as he stared at Morgana wide-eyed.

“I don’t think I look anything like your old cat, but if you want… you can pet me?” Morgana suggested.

“Wait, don’t you, uh… not allow that?” Goro inquired, still taken aback.

Morgana simply laughed, settling down in Goro’s lap and looking completely relaxed. “I think you deserve pet privileges more than anyone else, Goro.”

He was honestly kind of speechless, but still decided to run his fingers through Morgana’s fur, starting at the top of his head and brushing it all the way down his back. It felt incredibly relaxing, being able to feel the texture of Morgana’s fur on his skin. Morgana began purring soon afterwards too, which made him smile even wider. He didn’t realize it until now, but he really did miss having a cat. Maybe… Maybe he’d get one sometime soon.

_YUSUKE KITAGAWA_

At this point, everyday felt like some sort of adventure to him. He wasn’t sure if he meant that in a good or bad way, but it was definitely something new all the time. For example, Yusuke suddenly called him and asked him if he was willing to model for him. Apparently he needed inspiration for his new art piece. Goro didn’t really understand why Yusuke wanted _him_ in particular, but this might as well happen.

He called to let Yusuke know he made it, waiting outside his dorm building for him to let him in. The door to the dorm opened, revealing Yusuke in a paint-stained t-shirt and surprisingly unstained sweatpants. It felt incredibly odd to see him in such casual clothing, but he didn’t comment on it.

“Good afternoon, Goro. Come in,” Yusuke said, holding the door open for him.

“Thank you.” There was nobody in the common area except for one guy passed out on the couch, an incomplete canvas painting sitting on the table in front of him, as well as a number of paintbrushes and two different palettes of paint. Ah, and who could forget the paint water. There was a glass of regular water beside it, so Goro couldn’t help but wonder how many times the poor guy drank from the paint water.

Yusuke led him up the stairs into the boy’s dorm rooms, opening the door to his own and gesturing to Goro to close it behind him. He watched Yusuke fumble around while collecting the materials he needed, placing everything he needed within reach. Goro noticed the excessive paint splatters on the floor and the mess of materials near the easel, showcasing just how lively an artist’s workplace can be.

“Alright, could you take off your coat and place it on the futon?” Goro did as he was told, standing around until Yusuke told him what else to do. “Perfect, your clothing choice reflects what I had in mind… Take these and stand in that corner, please.”

Yusuke shoved a bouquet of flowers in his hands, consisting of multiple large, white lilies in the centre, surrounded by baby’s breath and some slightly larger, pink flowers he couldn’t recall the name of. Wei… something. Weigela? Yeah, that sounds about right. He walked over to the corner and faced Yusuke, holding the bouquet up to his chest.

“Hmm… angle yourself a bit more to the left, somewhat of a 3/4ths view. Yes, perfect. Bring the bouquet a bit more up, as if you’re smelling the flowers. Just like that, now keep your gaze on the flowers, so your eyes are half-lidded. Good, now just stay still…”

He was honestly just following whatever orders Yusuke was throwing at him and hoping that he’ll be able to maintain the position throughout the whole sketching process. Goro briefly wondered why Yusuke couldn’t just… take a picture of the model, then start sketching from the picture, but he didn’t bring it up. Besides, this was an intriguing experience so far.

Goro decided to play a little guessing game while Yusuke was preoccupied – what was the artist aiming for? He said his outfit reflected his intentions for the painting, but he wasn’t really wearing anything too special, just a white button up underneath a beige sweater-vest. Maybe it’s in the colours? White symbolizes purity and innocence, so maybe it’s something based around that…

Oh wait. It was right in front of his nose, literally. Lilies represent purity and modesty, don’t they? If he remembers correctly, baby’s breath also represent purity, but they also focus on innocence. He couldn’t really recall the meaning of the weigela, but maybe it’s something similar.

So, a painting based around purity and innocence. He couldn’t help but wonder why he chose Goro of all people for a painting like this, he’s far from pure and certainly not innocent. So why, he wondered…

The clock in Yusuke’s room was ticking away, giving Goro something to shift his focus to. Out of pure boredom, he timed his breathing to the clock’s noises. Inhale, tick, tock. Exhale, tick, tock. Repeat. He found it to be a good breathing exercise, though his usual breathing was much slower than the current pace, so he began getting quite dizzy from the sudden increase in air intake.

He turned his attention to the bouquet. There were only four lilies in the centre, but he couldn’t be bothered to count the rest of the flowers. Or maybe…? He began counting the amount of weigela, tallying up a total of 48 in the bouquet. He was about to start on the baby’s breath when he heard Yusuke set down his paint brush with a relieved sigh. Was he done? How much time has it been?

“You may put the bouquet down, now.”

Oh, there we go. He set the bouquet onto the futon and shrugged his coat back on, looking over at Yusuke. “Are you okay with me seeing the painting now, or?”

Yusuke smiled faintly and nodded, gesturing for him to take a look. Goro inhaled sharply, blinking wide-eyed. Woah… He didn’t know how to describe what he was seeing. The way Yusuke painted him, he looked relaxed and happy, gazing down at the flowers as if they were a precious child. His shoulders didn’t portray the tension he knew they usually had, and he somehow made Goro’s hair seem like it was delicately framing his face to look softer, even though it was styled exactly the same.

Goro looked… Pure. Innocent. He looked so indescribably young in Yusuke’s painting, and he had no idea what to do with that information. Did he actually look like that when he was modelling or did Yusuke change something? No, that wouldn’t really make sense, Yusuke was adamant on seeing beauty for what it is. Then did that mean he really looked so…?

When he finally remembered to breathe, he murmured, “It came out beautifully.”

Yusuke’s smile seemed to be less visible on his lips and more in his eyes, holding a certain glint to them. “Do you see how I see you, as you are now?”

“That means…” No way. Yusuke really saw him like this? He could hardly believe it, but the brush strokes on canvas spoke only the truth. He felt himself grin, observing the way the bouquet accentuated his relaxed expression. This man is incredible.

“Exactly. You don’t realize it, but you have the ability to change and let your purity shine through. I presume you forget that you’re still a teenager, a child; someone who has barely lived their life just yet,” Yusuke explained. He looked up at Goro from his seat and gave him a smile so kind that it made him feel like crying.

“Remember that you’re not devoid of innocence.”

_MAKOTO NIIJIMA_

Goro needed a few days alone to recover from the event with Yusuke, finding it to be too much for his poor brain to handle. After being told something like that, he just needed time to think. So he thought and thought, coming to the conclusion that maybe, just maybe, he shouldn’t think about it too hard. Maybe he should just let life happen, let himself live. Let himself experience the things he couldn’t until now.

So when Makoto asked him to join her at the café in Kichijoji, he accepted immediately. Just maybe, he’d let himself make friends, let himself trust the Thieves. He never considered this before, but he really does have a lot to learn from them.

Makoto was early as always; she’d already claimed a seat for them in front of the café and was waiting for Goro. He sat across from her, causing her to look up at him. “Oh, there you are! Thank you for coming today, Goro-kun.”

“You don’t have to thank me for that,” he said, waving it off. “Recently, everybody’s been asking me to hang out with them, one by one. I’m not sure why, but… it’s been quite interesting so far.”

She smiled as if she knew exactly what he was talking about. “Yes, I’m not surprised. All of us wanted a turn to spend time with you alone, mostly to get you settled into the group properly. I don’t think Futaba or Haru asked yet, did they?”

“Nope.”

“Mm, thought so. They’re still taking their time to warm up to you, but they’ll come along eventually. They’ll tell you in more detail, but… Despite not forgiving you just yet, they still wish to get along,” Makoto explained. Hm, he’s honestly shocked those two want anything to do with him in the first place, after everything that’s happened.

It’s almost as if she knew what he was thinking about, because she touched his hand from across the table to get his attention. “Don’t worry, none of us hate you for what happened. In fact, we think you deserve a second chance _because_ of what happened.”

He stared at her, feeling the gears in his head turning. Huh… Is that why everyone has been so adamant on talking to him and spending time with him? Because they wanted him to realize that they’re okay with him? He wasn’t sure what to say…

“Ah… thank you, I guess that’s reassuring,” he finally responded. They were interrupted by a waiter coming to take their orders, both of them deciding to keep it simple and ordering a latte. After spending so much time at Leblanc, he was a bit thrown off by not knowing what coffee beans they’re using, though he didn’t ask. It didn’t really matter at these kinds of trendy places as long as it didn’t taste like shit.

The waiter walked away after telling them it’ll be out in five minutes. Goro sighed, rubbing his temples after a sharp pain passed through his head. Did he get enough sleep last night…? He couldn’t recall.

Oh, but he did want to talk to Makoto about something, now that he thought about it. “Hey, Makoto?”

“Hmm?”

“I wanted to speak to you about what I wanted to do with my life, because… I didn’t really know who else had enough brain cells to help me with this,” he admitted bluntly. “A certain experience with Yusuke had me thinking about actually living for once, doing something with my life and all. So I want to enroll in university, though the hard part is deciding on what to study. I can’t really imagine myself doing anything in particular, considering how I didn’t even expect to make it this far…”

Makoto tilted her head and hummed thoughtfully, fiddling with her fingers. “You don’t wish to continue down the detective route, if my guess is correct?”

“Not really, no. I have the skill set for it, but I can’t imagine myself doing it for the rest of my life.”

“Huh, fair enough. Would you be opposed to going down a law route, though?” She asked.

A law route… That’d probably bring him into a courtroom setting. Could he see himself in a courtroom? He _did_ have a way with words, though he wouldn’t really want to become a judge. An attorney, maybe? He’d have to choose between defense and prosecution, though.

“Well, I’m certainly not opposed to being a prosecutor or defense attorney, though I can’t really make a choice between the two,” he stated.

“That’s alright, at least we made it somewhere,” Makoto reminded with a tiny smile. “And besides, my sis can help you out, I hope you know that. She still hasn’t forgotten about you, we actually spoke the other day about this.”

“You did…?” Now that’s a surprise.

“Mmhm, we got onto a similar topic, actually. She was thinking about your future and assumed that you may or may not continue with the detective thing, and at one point she said she’d be more than happy to help you if you’re ever stuck. Something to that effect,” she recounted.

“Huh…” It took him a moment to wrap his head around the fact that Sae-san was willing to help him with things related to his education and career. He looked up at Makoto and nodded with a small smile. “Tell her I said thank you, then. I’ll contact her if I ever need anything.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it. We’re honestly just happy that you’re giving some thought to long-term decisions,” Makoto said. He could hear the subtle cheeriness in her voice too, which made his chest feel warm. They’re being genuine, and he knew it. “If you wish, you can even think of us as your older sisters from now on.”

Older… sisters? His lips involuntarily spread into a wide smile when he heard that. God damn it, he had no clue why the thought of that made him so happy. “You sure you want _me_ as your little brother? I can be a handful at times, admittedly.”

She chuckled heartily, eyes crinkling. “Bold of you to assume that we can’t handle you. You’re family to us as much as you are a friend, you know. The same goes for the Thieves, they’re our found family too.”

“Then… thank you. That really means a lot to me.” He didn’t really need to say it, either. He was sure she saw it in his eyes.

_FUTABA SAKURA_

He was sort of surprised when Futaba contacted him a few days into his first semester at university. This was actually the first time they’d really spoken in person ever since he told them he was alive. They’d texted, sure, but this was way different. It was even weirder having her insist on him calling her Futaba, instead of her last name. Haru had done the same, which was even more insane.

But hey, at least things seem to be progressing well. He knew getting their trust wouldn’t be a quick and linear process – he didn’t expect it to be. Though… he was admittedly a bit nervous while waiting for Futaba to meet him in Akihabara. She wanted to come here to buy herself a new video game, but needed somebody to accompany her, still relatively unused to going out into huge crowds.

At least he was sort of happy that he could help the girl with her anxiety, even if he’s still trying to convince himself that she doesn’t dislike him. She couldn’t think that badly of him if she’s trusting him to lead her through these crowds, right?

“Aah, there he is!” He heard Futaba’s footsteps running up to him, trying to catch her breath. “Jeez, the trains were really crowded, I’m surprised I made it here aliveeee…”

Goro chuckled through his nose, waiting for her to calm down. “You did well. You made it here all on your own, after all. Don’t you think that’s progress?”

“… You’re right, I’ve definitely made progress! Mwehehe… Then I guess I really do deserve to treat myself with a new video game.” She straightened back up, going behind him and pushing him gently to get him to move.

“Wha- hey, Futaba!” He stumbled over his feet for a moment, walking in front of her when he finally woke his feet up. She laughed quietly, moving to walk beside him.

“Not sorry about that at all. Anyways, I’m gonna drag you through this one store, find the video game I need, if I can’t find it then I’ll try to ask an attendant about it, but if I pussy out I’ll force you to do it. Sound like a plan?” She asked, gesturing for him to follow her into a store. Oh, apparently they’re already here.

“Alright, I guess that sounds fine…” He let her lead the way, making sure she knows he’s close by as she looks for the games aisle. He kept an eye on her, though he couldn’t stop himself from getting distracted when he saw a bunch of Featherman figurines being sold for a reduced price. They had a Grey Pigeon one up there too, and it was so well made…

Ugh, but he didn’t bring that much money with him, he just stuck a thousand yen bill into the back of his phone case if he needed to buy anything while he was out. Next time, he’ll keep it in mind for next time. He might have to come back soon though, as he had no clue how long the sale would last. When’s the next time you’re gonna get such a good quality figurine for 3000 yen when these ones usually cost around 7000 yen?

He walked over to the selection of action figures and took the Grey Pigeon box off the shelf, looking at it a little more closely. It’s a really dynamic looking figurine, seems like it has joints to be able to position it any way you want. This one even has the weapon and armour set, which some Featherman figurines don’t even have.

“Boo.”

Goro was ashamed that he actually jumped at that. He grumbled, giving Futaba a pointed stare as he hurriedly shoved the box back onto the shelf. “Futaba, what the hell.”

“Not my fault you didn’t hear me calling your name a moment ago,” she said with a snicker. He wished she would stop laughing at his misery… But damn, he really didn’t hear her, did he? Uh oh, what a great bodyguard he is.

“Sorry, I guess I got a bit lost in thought. Did you find what you need?” He prompted, causing her to shake her head. Her expression looked a bit odd though, almost as if she’s hiding something.

“I didn’t find the video game I’m looking for, but… I gathered up the courage to ask the attendant and she said they’ll bring in some orders in a few days, I think they’re sold out or something,” she told him, scratching her neck. “Instead, I’ll buy myself one of these figurines! They’re surprisingly cheap for Featherman merch, don’t you think?”

“Mm, they’re usually much pricier than this. I wonder, were they not selling well?” He thought out loud. She grabbed a Grey Pigeon box off of the shelf, smiling to herself.

“Hehe, who knows? When they’re this high quality, it’d be a waste not to get one. Come on,” she urged, pulling him along by the arm to the cash counters. Damn, why does she keep manhandling him?

Luckily for them, there was a counter that was empty, so they rushed to claim their spot before anyone stole it. Futaba didn’t speak to the cashier, just handed the box and necessary sum of money to them. The cashier placed the box into a bag after scanning it then gave it back to Futaba, wishing her a good day. She just gave them a stiff nod and quickly walked out of the store, heaving a sigh of relief.

“I did it…”

He chuckled, patting her head. Wait, why did he do that? That was completely involuntary. She looked up at him with wide eyes that softened when he said, “You did well today.”

“Thank you!” She beamed at him, shoving the bag into his hands. “That… wasn’t for me, I’m a bad liar. You could probably tell. I was telling the truth about not finding the game I wanted, but when I looked over at you, I just… I got the urge to get you that figurine because you looked like you really wanted it.”

Her voice got quieter as she went on, until she was practically mumbling. He would’ve smiled at how nervous she looked if he wasn’t losing his mind over this. She bought a figurine? For him? Because he looked like he wanted it? Holy shit. He felt his lips tremble before they spread into a huge grin, holding the bag close to his chest.

“Ah… You really didn’t have to waste your money on me, I could’ve bought it myself. But you’re honestly a blessing…? Thank _you_ , Futaba,” he said breathlessly.

She snapped her head back up to look at him, blinking quickly. She then shook her head, adopting a smile of her own. “Not a waste if you look _that_ happy about it. I can feel my social link with you ranking up right now, so I clearly did something right!”

“Social link?” He snorted, starting to walk back towards the station with her beside him. “I won’t even ask. But still… I’ll make this up to you somehow. Want me to buy you that game when it’s finally in stock?”

“Dude, I might cry if you do that. Of joy, of course,” she clarified, grinning real wide. “You don’t have to worry about repaying me though, it’s kinda expensive.”

“Nah, I will,” he guaranteed, staring down into the bag containing a figurine that’s now his. Imagining this thing on his shelf made him endlessly happy. How could he not repay her after she did this for him?

_HARU OKUMURA_

Haru eventually came around too, about a week later. She contacted him asking if he’d be willing to help her with her planters at Shujin, stating that she usually asked Ren but he couldn’t really help now that he’s back at his hometown, and instead he encouraged her to ask Goro. He had absolutely no gardening experience, though after giving it some thought, he decided to accept. Why the fuck not? Despite being nervous about hanging out with her, he wanted to see how it’d go out of pure curiosity.

So there he was, sneaking onto Shujin’s rooftop on a Saturday, finding the school blissfully empty with no one loitering about to ask him what the hell he was doing there. Not like they’d recognize him anyways, he always takes care to put together a good disguise before meeting with anyone. Goro was surprised how little it took to fool the public, recalling the time Ren messed up his hair at that café. Again, just how were those people so easily convinced? It was ridiculous.

When he made it onto the rooftop, the door was already cracked open the tiniest bit. He pushed it open and saw Haru kneeling next to one of the planters. The door seemed to creak a bit, alerting her to his presence and causing her to look over her shoulder. She stood up, smiling gently as she faced him.

“You made it, thank you so much for accepting.”

“It’s really no problem, but you’ll have to teach me,” he admitted. “I don’t really have experience in gardening…”

She simply shook her head, gesturing for him to come over. “Don’t worry about that, I’ll tell you what needs to be done. First, can you pick off the ripe tomatoes for me? Look for the really red ones that come off the stem easily, then put them into this basket.”

Goro took the basket she offered him and walked over to the tomato plant, starting on his work immediately. He narrowed it down by finding the red tomatoes, then testing if they come off easily. They tended to vary in size, but it was quite interesting how large they could get. He wondered if the larger ones tended to be more flavorful or if that had no effect on the taste…

By the end of it, he’d collected about a dozen or so tomatoes. “I’m done, Haru.”

“Just a moment.” She came over and quickly looked over his selection, nodding approvingly. “Good work, these ones are all ripe. You missed one, but the rest of these can stay there for a bit longer.”

She’d picked off the one he missed and placed it into the basket, moving it to the side. Meanwhile, it seemed like she was watering some of her other plants, judging by the nearly empty watering can and the damp-looking soil.

“What else do you need help with?” He asked, glancing over at her.

“Hmm… For now I don’t need you to do anything else except keep me company, I suppose.” She picked up the watering can again and began tending to another plant, being careful not to overwater. “I got the majority of the work done alone, I guess I just didn’t want to work in silence.”

That’s relatively understandable, he tended to put some soft music on when he worked on dull and taxing work, such as filling out the paperwork that somebody at the precinct dumped on him. It helped with productivity and also prevented him from going absolutely insane. “I get that. Though, I was wondering…”

“Yes?”

“You just finished your third year here, yes? I was curious about your decision to keep tending to the plants here, instead of moving them to your home or something,” Goro voiced.

“Ah, so you noticed. Well, I’m making arrangements for that, I have to figure out where in my house they’d get the most sunlight. I’m having one of the current third-years take care of them for me during the week, considering how I can only swing by here on Saturdays. And besides, coming back here feels a bit nostalgic,” she finished with a gentle smile on her face.

“Nostalgia, huh?”

“Yes, whenever I come here I’m reminded of the pleasant experiences I’ve had during my high school years, as well as the times my friends helped me with my gardening. They’re very special memories to me, I can’t help but cling to them for as long as I can,” Haru explained, giggling quietly. He noticed how relaxed she looks, how happy and expressive her body language is. It was obvious how much she loved doing this, looking as if her worries all fade away when she’s near her plants.

Should he take up gardening, Goro wondered? When he was focusing on picking those tomatoes and determining whether they are ripe or not, he honestly felt at ease. His mind felt unusually clear as he worked on the task, too focused to think about anything else. He exhaled slowly, looking up at Haru.

“Do you think you could teach me more about growing my own plants? I’ve been thinking about finding a hobby for a while now and this might help me destress at times.”

“Really, you want to?” She turned her head to look at him with raised eyebrows before a bright smile spread across her face. “I’d be more than happy to teach you! I’m so so happy that you’re looking for things to do with your time.”

Goro grinned at her, feeling immense relief. “Thank you so much, Haru. I really am trying my best to work towards living the way I wanted to live for a while now, so having you help me find a hobby means a lot.”

“Save your weekends for me then, okay?” She sang, turning back to her plants with what seemed like a cheerful air about her. He honestly forgot why he’d been so nervous in the first place. It all worked out, after all.

_SUMIRE YOSHIZAWA_

Goro was a little surprised when he suddenly got a text from Sumire. She’d been really busy these past few days practicing gymnastics routines for her upcoming meet, so she really hasn’t been online too much recently. They’d ended up talking on the phone for a while, mostly with Goro listening to Sumire rant on and on excitedly about her practices. It honestly reminded him of his own experiences with gymnastics as a young child, though he had only three years of experience under his belt.

He told her about this when the conversation slowed a bit, which apparently took her by surprise. How did she not notice it in the Metaverse? Goro tried to keep it to a minimum, but sometimes he couldn’t help using his flexibility to be dramatic. He already had it, so why the fuck not?

So that’s how he ended up being invited to one of her training sessions with her coach. She was incredibly adamant about re-teaching him some skills and seeing how much muscle memory he really had, so he couldn’t exactly refuse. Admittedly, he was a bit curious too. Just how far could he get in a single day?

“Oh, you’re here, Goro-senpai!”

He approached Sumire, carrying a small duffel bag containing some of the stuff he needed. “Mm, I made it. I’m honestly looking forward to seeing what I can do.”

“Me too,” she agreed with a small laugh, leading him into the gym. “Three years of experience, huh? So then you definitely have the basics down, I think we just need to get you all stretched out and start relearning some moves.”

“Sounds good, I remember loving back handsprings for some reason. It was so fun just… bouncing everywhere,” he recalled, chuckling at the memory.

“I know exactly what you mean, and it gets even better when you learn more advanced skills!” Sumire pushed open the door to the room they’d be practicing in. Goro noticed that the room was empty aside from a woman seated on a chair, likely waiting for them.

“Ah, Sumire.” The woman stood up and faced them. Sumire closed the door to the room and bowed, prompting Goro to do the same.

“Hello, coach Hiraguchi! I brought a friend with me today, he started on gymnastics as a kid but didn’t make it past three years. Could you help me with teaching him, please?” Sumire asked, straightening back up. Hiraguchi hummed, resting a hand on her chin.

“Relearning gymnastics, eh? If he’s got the flexibility for it, it’ll be no problem,” she stated.

Goro nodded, setting his duffel bag down next to the wall. “I’m good when it comes to flexibility and strength, as well as some basic moves. I just didn’t make it very far, unfortunately.”

“Very well, you two can start on your stretches first.”

It took them about ten minutes to finish stretching, which was a bit longer than anticipated because Sumire couldn’t help but marvel at how far he could stretch his legs in a standing split despite his lack of training. He probably owes that to the multiple times he put off his work at home in favour of doing all kinds of stretches.

Sumire took him to the open space in the middle room that’s been cushioned by a mat and helped him get comfortable with handstands and coming up from a bridge, before working on relearning a back walkover. The first time around he fell onto his back, but they laughed it off and tried again. It took multiple tries, though he was able to do it with proper form in no time. Coach Hiraguchi looked over their practice and gave Goro pointers on form and technique.

He was honestly impressing himself with his progress. It felt so exhilarating doing all of these moves and working towards perfecting them, so much so that he couldn’t get enough of the feeling. By the time a few hours had passed, he was collapsed on the mat with Sumire, both of them breathing heavily.

“That… was… ha, so fun!” Goro exclaimed, grinning wide. He hadn’t felt quite so energetic in a while, and he couldn’t help but crave more. His body said otherwise though, sore and aching all over the place. Even still, he felt so much like a kid again.

“See what… hah… I meant? Told you… this was a… good idea, haha!” Sumire managed between pants, trying to reach their water bottles without getting up. Coach Hiraguchi took mercy on them apparently, as she brought them their water bottles herself.

“Good work, you two,” she praised with a hint of a smile on her face. “You certainly have potential, Goro. If you want to get back into gymnastics, I’d be glad to coach you just as I coached Sumire, just say the word.”

He sat up after calming himself out a bit, looking up at the woman. “Really? Thank you so much, I might take you up on that offer sometime!”

“She’s right, you know,” Sumire said, sitting up as well. “Your movements show that you’re an amateur, but your style is interesting. Your moves are aggressive and pronounced, but still graceful! I’m sure that with enough practice, nobody will be able to tear their eyes from you.”

Goro watched her as she spoke, repeating those words in his head over and over again. He wasn’t sure about doing gymnastics competitively, but hearing that sort of acknowledgement still meant the world to him. “Thank you Sumire, I’ll do my best!”

_PHANTOM THIEVES OF HEARTS_

Honestly, he’d been planning to spend the day just relaxing and maybe even pampering himself a bit. When was the last time he took the time for a full spa day? Instead, he was suddenly being called to Leblanc by Ren. The Thieves group chat was incredibly active too, but he couldn’t be bothered to read it. He saw his name pop up a few times, though.

He wondered if there was any particular reason why they called him today. There weren’t any holidays right now, so who knows? But hey, if he’s adopting the “fuck it, let’s do it” mentality, why not go ahead and see what’s going on?

And there he was, walking up to Leblanc and briefly wondering if this was a good idea. He had no clues to go off of as to what’s going on, though he could’ve just read through the group chat to try and figure it out. That’s his own fault for being a lazy ass.

He pushed the door open, and-

“Happy birthday, Goro!”

Was greeted with quite the sight, to say the least. There was a huge hand-made banner hanging in Leblanc and a lot of confetti falling to the ground from the poppers. Did some of it land in his hair? To his surprise, absolutely everybody was gathered in Leblanc, including Ren who was supposed to be back at his hometown. Did he come out here just for…?

Wait, it’s his birthday. Ohhhh, that’s what he forgot about. When he finally registered what was going on, he realized he was probably looking a little too wide-eyed. Could he really help it though?

“You… I never told you my birthday, how did…?”

Futaba laughed devilishly, pushing her glasses up. “That would be my doing. Personal info is quite easy to find when you know where to look, I even found your search hi-“

“Ahhh yes, thank you Futaba!” He interrupted, clearing his throat. They all began laughing among themselves, with Goro himself joining in somewhere along the line. It _was_ contagious, can you blame him?

“Why don’t we start off with dinner? Are you hungry, Goro?” Ren asked, dragging him over to take a seat at the booth. He sat next to Ryuji, still feeling a bit shocked about the current situation. What did he do to deserve these people?

“Well, I’ll admit I haven’t eaten since breakfast,” Goro responded, scratching his cheek. And after he said he’d take better care of himself…

Makoto seemed to be thinking along the same lines. “Are you _sure_ you don’t need me to come to your apartment and force feed you?”

“Don’t worry about doing that, I’m fine,” Goro waved off with a chuckle. Ren, Ann and Sumire all brought out huge boxes of what seemed to be a wide variety of sushi, and it certainly didn’t look like the cheap conveyor belt type either. Holy shit, just how much money did they spend? “Ah… guys? I hope you didn’t completely flatten your wallets in the process of buying these.”

“Ren and I paid for all of it, don’t worry about the cost,” Haru reassured.

Ryuji swung an arm over Goro’s shoulders, nudging his side with his fist. Ow. “You know how absolutely loaded those two are, so just relax and enjoy your birthday dinner!”

“It really is an exquisite spread,” Yusuke mumbled to himself, observing the food hungrily. Morgana swatted at Yusuke’s arm, snapping him out of it.

“Hey, Goro gets to choose first, be patient!”

Sumire was setting out plates in front of everyone, but Goro was too busy laughing at Yusuke and Morgana to notice she gave him his plate first. He felt something being placed on top of his head and looked up to find that Haru put a birthday hat onto him. She giggled at his confused expression, looking completely unapologetic.

“I’m surprised at how well it suits you,” Haru teased. He felt a bit embarrassed about wearing the thing, but he couldn’t bring himself to take it off when she obviously found some sort of joy from it.

“Damn, he really looks good in everything, huh?” Ann noted with raised eyebrows. “I honestly bought that thing as a gag but he’s making it work!”

“Ah, so it was you,” Goro murmured. He couldn’t help but wonder what the hat looked like on him if they’re marveling so much over it.

And just like that, they had a peaceful dinner together. Actually, he couldn’t really describe it as peaceful, considering how everybody was chattering loudly about something to someone and there no shortage of bickering and banter. Even still, he couldn’t help feeling oh so fond for each and every one of them. He couldn’t remember the last time he had so much fun with a group of people, nor the last time he felt like he truly belonged.

He could see in their tiniest gestures that they really did care about him. Ryuji admitted that they initially planned on taking him to a restaurant but Makoto figured that he might enjoy a more private setting rather than a public celebration. When they told him that, he was honestly so taken aback by their thoughtfulness that he was rendered speechless for a moment.

It got even better when they brought out a _cake_. Holy shit. It was a relatively large cheesecake adorned with strawberries along the edge and a handwritten ‘Happy birthday, Goro!’ in the center. He managed to stop himself from tearing up, thankfully.

Looking at all of them, looking back at him with such kind smiles on their faces… He felt warmer than ever before. His cheeks were probably a bright red as they sang the birthday song to him, but he couldn’t complain. This is what he’s wanted for so, so long. He blew out the candles, wishing for them to stay by his side forever.

“Gift time, gift tiiiime!” Futaba yelled, bringing down a wrapped box from Ren’s room. She passed it to Ren, who gave it to Goro with a big, excited grin.

“Open it!”

He heard a noise come from inside the box, which gave him a heart attack and a half. Just what did they get him…? He took the top of the box off and gasped, eyes lighting up as he saw a white, fluffy mass that meowed at him. Oh my god…

Goro gently picked the kitten up, looking at it with awe and wonder. His cheeks were starting to hurt from smiling, and he couldn’t hold back his tears any longer, no matter how hard he tried. “Thank… thank you,” he choked out.

Everyone was looking at him so, so happily and he wondered how he became so lucky. Morgana pawed at his hand, grabbing his attention. “I told them about Cloud, I hope you don’t mind?”

“No, of course I don’t,” he said shakily, wiping his tears. “I love him… I love you guys.”

They grinned even harder, all of them taking turns to hug him, ruffle his hair or squeeze his cheeks. He could tell that they loved him too, which made his heart sing. For the first time in a while, he felt like he was part of a family.


End file.
